A series of novels about Angelica, a fatal beauty who lived during the reign of Louis XIV, has gained immense popularity among readers around the world. Its authors are the spouses Anne and Serge Golon, although, in fact, this is only a literary pseudonym.
The real names of Anne and Serge Golon are Simone Change and Vsevolod Golubinov. Moreover, the real author of Angelica is Simone alone, her husband only helped her in the search for historical material in the Versailles library. When Simone Changer was just starting work on the 10th book of the series, Vsevolod Golubinov suddenly died of a stroke. However, all the books in the series, created from 1956 to 1985, were published under dual authorship. Initially, the appearance on the cover of a male name was supposed to contribute to a more serious attitude towards the novel in reading circles, since at that time the works of women writers were somewhat prejudiced.
The first novels about Angelica
In total, the series includes 13 novels. The first book, which introduced readers to the beautiful and daring daughter of an impoverished nobleman from Poitou, turned out to be so voluminous that it had to be divided into 2 books - "Angelica, Marquis of Angels" and "The Way to Versailles". The first part told about the sudden outbreak of love between young Angelica and 30-year-old Joffrey de Peyrac, for whom the girl was married to save the family from poverty.
At first, Angelica is afraid of this lame, not distinguished by beauty person, whose face, moreover, is disfigured by a blow of a saber. However, soon the young wife begins to understand how the Comte de Peyrac is smart, charming and beautiful in soul. The family happiness of the de Peyrac spouses turns out to be short-lived - the too rich and independent Joffrey causes anger and fear in the king himself. As a result, he is arrested on charges of witchcraft (the fact is that Peyrac succeeded in his alchemy studies) and sentenced to be burned at the stake.
In the pages of the novel "The Way to Versailles", left without a roof over her head and a livelihood, Angelica falls to the bottom of society, becoming a member of one of the Parisian gangs led by her childhood friend Nicolas. Gradually, she manages to escape from the gang, gain wealth and even return to high society, becoming the wife of her cousin, the handsome Philippe du Plessis-Beller.
Continuation of the series
After the unprecedented success of the first books, sequels followed one after another. In the novel "Angelica and the King" the proud beauty is once again a widow, but suddenly finds out that her husband managed to avoid a terrible death at the stake. From now on, the search for Joffrey becomes the main goal of her life. Many misadventures await Angelica in the novels Indomitable Angelica and Angelica in Rebellion, until she finally meets Peyrac, who is forced to hide under the guise of a fearless and mysterious pirate Reskator (Angelica and Her Love).
The next six novels (Angelica in the New World, The Temptation of Angelica, Angelica and the Demon, Angelica in Quebec, The Road of Hope, Angelica and Her Victory) are set on the North American continent, where Joffrey and Angelica start a new life and, ultimately, regain happiness and freedom.
Currently, the creator of Angelica Anne Golon is working on the final novel of the series "Angelica and the Kingdom of France", and also carries out an ambitious work on the publication of a new, expanded and revised edition of the entire series. It is planned that, together with the final part, the updated series will consist of 24 volumes.
